معرفی
Sonja de New is an Associate Professor at the Centre for Health Economics within Monash Business School at Monash University. She maintains significant external affiliations as a Research Affiliate at RWI - Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (since 2016) and a Research Fellow at IZA - Institute of Labor Economics (since 2015). Her scholarly work contributes substantially to UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those addressing health and wellbeing disparities.
Dr. de New's research program centers on mental health economics and policy evaluation with special emphasis on disadvantaged populations. She investigates how insecure work and financial stress impact decision-making, cognitive development, productivity, and broader life outcomes. Her work on risky behaviors examines the role of economic disadvantage and evaluates policy interventions designed to mitigate these behaviors. This interdisciplinary research bridges economics, psychology, and public health through rigorous empirical analysis.
Her publication trajectory demonstrates consistent scholarly impact with recent work addressing urgent contemporary issues including mental health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, opioid policy reformulation, and healthcare disparities among Indigenous populations. Articles appear in leading journals such as the Economic Journal, European Economic Review, Industrial and Labour Relations Review, Journal of Banking and Finance, and Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization.
- Award for the highest mark in the Diplom (Masters) in Economics (2007)
- Dean's Commendation for Excellence in Research by an Early Career Researcher, Monash Business School (2015)
- Award of the 'Gesellschaft der Freunde und Förderer des RWI' for best publication (2010)
- CSIRO Fellowship (2014)
- DAAD Research Grant (2015)
Dr. de New actively leads and contributes to significant research projects as Chief Investigator, examining labor market dynamics of frontline workers, alcohol approach-avoidance training interventions, mental health modeling for government departments, and the effects of insecure work on workers and their families. She accepts PhD students, demonstrating her commitment to research mentoring and academic development. Her collaborative approach connects her with researchers across multiple institutions and disciplines.
Through the Centre for Health Economics at Monash University, Dr. de New works within a multidisciplinary research environment that includes economists, public health specialists, and policy analysts. Her methodological expertise in large-scale data analysis and policy evaluation provides evidence-based insights that inform health and economic policy discussions both in Australia and internationally, with particular attention to vulnerable populations and equity considerations.
